Roller-skate.



No. 892,758. PATENTED JULY 7 W. lVIoLAY. ROLLER SKATE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29.1907.

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WILLIAM McLAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROLLER-SKATE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 7, 1908.

Application filed June 29, 1907. Serial No. 381,489.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MoLAY, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an attachment for roller skates; and has for its object to provide a means for temporarily locking the ont wheels against backward turning. This attachment is more especially intended as a safety device in guarding against accidents from falling.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate embodying the improved features with the near wheel removed. Fig.

2 is a plan section on line 2, Fig. 1: and, Fig.

3 is a similar view, the locking-parts being gin the opposite position from that shown in The roller skate proper may be of any of the usual constructions, the description therefore will be limited to the improved feature and the parts to which the same is connected.

A represents the sole-plate, B the front axle, and C, C, the front wheels or rollers mounted on the respective ends thereof. A bracket 4 is rigidly seciu'ed to the underside of the sole-plate and extends downward therefrom and terminates in the extended ends 5 and 6 which are connected by a pin 7, that also passes through the lower end of a brace 8 fastened to the sole-plate. The rear ends of companion spring pawls 9 are secured to the opposite sides 10 of the bracket 4 by screws 11. The front ends 12 of the pawls or clicks 9 are free and bent outward, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A bracket 13, comprising side-plates 14, a connecting bottom part 15 and an arm 16 extending upward, is loosely mounted on the wheel axle B. The side-plates 14 present narrowed top ends 17 which contact the inside free ends 12 of the pawls 9. The upper end of the arm 16 is provided with a slot 18 (Fig. 1) through which is loosely inserted a bolt 19 having a head 20 of a greater diameter than said slot. This bolt is threaded through a set nut 21 and the brace 8, the nut bearing against said brace. The arm 16 and the bolt have two positions as indicated by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, the functions of this bolt being to impart a slight rocking or tilting movement to the bracket 13.

The front wheels are provided around their inner eripheral edge with ratchet teeth 22 wit which the free ends of the pawls 9 are adapted to engage in looking the wheels against a back movement when it is so desired. In Figs. 1 and 2 the parts are shown in their normal position, the locking pawls being disengaged and the front wheels free to turn in either direction. By turning back on the bolt 19 the nut 21 comes in contact with the arm 16, and imparts an outward movement to the lower end of bracket 13, and a correspondin inward movement to the upper end, whicda, being in contact with the free ends of the pawls 9 has the effect of moving the same outward into engagement with the ratchet teeth and lock the front wheels against back movement but free to turn ahead, as shown in Fig. 3. By turning inward on the bolt 19 the parts are returned to the normal position shown in Fig. 2, the pawls P being out of engagement.

It is well known that many accidents happen to new beginners, especially children. In going up an incline or the feet becoming widely separated the wheels have atendency to turn backward and the skater receives a fall and often serious injury.

When the user has become sufliciently skilful to avoid accidents the attachment can be left in its normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A roller skate having one pair of wheels provided with ratchet teeth, a pair of pawls normally disengaged from said wheels, and means for engaging said pawls simultaneously.

2. A roller skate having one pair of wheels provided with ratchet teeth, a pair of normally disengaged pawls disposed between said wheels, and means adapted to be inserted between said pawls to force them outward into engagement with the wheels.

3. A roller skate having one pair of Wheels provided with ratchet teeth and a bracket projecting downward from its sole plate between said wheels, a pair of spring pawls secured to the sides of said bracket and normally disen aged from said ratchet teeth, and a member adapted to be inserted between said pawls to spread them into engagement with said teeth.

4. A roller skate having one pair of wheels provided with ratchet teeth and a bracket projecting downward from its sole plate between said wheels, a pair of spring pawls secured to the sides of said bracket and normally disengaged from said ratchet teeth, and a member pivoted on the wheel-axle and adapted to be rocked into engagement with the inner sides of said pawis to spread the same into engagement with said teeth.

5. A roller skate having one pair of wheels provided with ratchet teeth and a bracket projecting downward-from its sole plate between said wheels, a pair of spring pawls secured to the sides of said bracket and nor 15 mally disengaged from said ratchet teeth, a pivotally-supported member adapted to be rocked into engagement with the inner sides of said pawls to spread the same into engagement with said teeth, and a threaded mem- 20 ber for actuating said member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MoLAY.

Witnesses:

L. B. O UPLAND, G. E. CHURCH. 

